Needle sticks are a vital part of the practice of medicine. Needle sticks are used to perform routine diagnostic procedures, such as tests for cholesterol levels, infections, blood count, and blood type. Needle sticks are also used to give injections for treating various diseases and medical conditions, such as administering vaccines and antibiotics. Accordingly, an inability to receive needle sticks can pose a serious threat to an individual's health.
Fear of needles, or Blenophobia, is known to increase the sense of pain during needle sticks. Many of the physical reactions associated with Blenophobia are initiated by watching the needle piercing the individual's skin. The fear associated with Blenophobia may result in such a fearful reaction to needles that an individual can no longer tolerate going anywhere near doctors' offices. In fact, an estimated 20 million Americans a year avoid going to the doctor because of a fear of needle sticks. Avoiding medical visits can be quite dangerous for individuals experiencing symptoms that indicate conditions or diseases requiring medical attention.
In addition, treatment regimens that require more frequent injections are more likely to be associated with Blenophobia. Such treatment regimens include those for multiple sclerosis (MS) and diabetes. And, unfortunately, the frequency of injections required by those treatment regimens also typically dictates that an individual self-inject. Such self-injections allow patients to reduce the risk of missed injections and to increase their independence from medical facilities. Thus, Blenophobia can prevent adherence to critical treatment regimens. Accordingly, there is a need for a new and useful method and device for relieving the apprehension and anxiety associated with the sight of a needle piercing the skin during injections.